t0t4lk40s

DeviantArt: "Future City Concept" by frenic

In this modern world full of technology at every corner, life is wonderful as you surf the Internet. It is a virtual city full of excitement and thrills, just like any city in the real world. But, in the real world, there are also dangers lurking around every corner: A conman here, a creepy guy there. You would take precautions in the real world to avoid these potential dangers. Shouldn’t you do the same as you and your family travel through the virtual city?

There are many threats that populate this new, digital world known as the Internet. And several of them would not be very dangerous were it not for the human psyche. It is because of this quality that many of the threats become a large vulnerability and pose a big threat to our safety, our security, and more importantly, our children. In fact, even Stephen King knew of this well enough to write, “The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool.” These flaws are being constantly exploited by a threat known as social engineering which takes advantage of how people behave in order to compromise our security and safety. It does this by using tools such as phishing and pharming, social networks and false identities, and even ourselves, in order to gain trust, gather information, persuade a victim to do something or go somewhere to meet, and to accomplish their devious goals. Continue reading →